Indicators and Targets in a Multilevel Government Setting with Increasing Budget Responsibilities. Lessons from Targeting Essential Services in the South of Italy

The debate on progress in Italy is affected by the backwardness of the Mezzogiorno. The recent fiscal federalism reform hence raises new questions on how to attain more comparable living conditions for residents in regions that currently differ in levels of development and access to basic services. The on-going experience of a performance-based mechanism directed to the eight regions of the Mezzogiorno suggests interesting routes for setting services standards, supporting the achievement of objectives and enhancing accountability. Far from being the outcome of merely technical activities, the chosen options might greatly impact the overall progress of the country and its internal inequalities.